CLARKSBURG — The Clarksburg Water Board will spend $15,000 before summer to train staff on software and customer service.

The Clarksburg Water Board on Tuesday unanimously approved a $7,000 customer service training package for water board employees.

Water Board staff proposed the Davis-Mayo Associates training service at a January meeting, but board members requested additional quotes and more information on whether the staff members who attend the seminars would leave with the ability to train future employees.

General Manager Richard Welch said the employees would be able to train others in the future, and an additional two quotes were provided. A local training provider’s services seemed more geared toward leadership training than customer service training, and a second provider’s service was less intensive, with staff only getting two hours of training, Welch said.

“Our recommendation is still Davis-Mayo,” he said. “They have a long history of customer service training, a listing of impressive clients. They offer a true customer service seminar customized for the Clarksburg Water Board, and it consists of two full days of training.”

The service will provide training for 15 employees.

In addition to customer service training, water board members unanimously approved sending two employees to Tyler Technologies’ National Training Conference in Boston, Massachusetts. Tyler Technologies produced the board’s current software for accounting and other services, Welch said.

“If they attend this, they’ll have the opportunity to discover new ways to improve productivity in the office and improve our services. Not only will they be able to interact and learn directly with the Tyler Technologies staff, the conference will allow them to meet their peers from across the country,” Welch said. “It will give them a chance to discuss problems and come up with solutions in talking to their peers that will be in attendance.”

It will be the first time Clarksburg Water Board staff attend the event. The cost for the training and travel was estimated at $7,900.

“We’re not getting the full effect from this program because of lack of training,” Welch added.

Board member Albert Cox said he does not believe the trip should cost $7,900.

“I’m all for them going, I just think we need to look at some of this budget,” Cox said.

Welch said the number is simply an estimate and the trip would likely cost less.

It is “not being tight — just being fiscally responsible” to reduce the trip budget, Cox said.

The remaining board members, Jonathan Calvert and Paul Howe, agreed that employees should not require the full $7,900 for the trip.

Howe also requested that the staff in attendance update the board on what they learned upon their return.

Welch also provided the board with a financial report for the first half of Fiscal Year 2018, which ends on June 30.

The Water Board finished out the first half of the fiscal year with sales slightly under budget. Total expenses were also under budget, however.

Bond debt service also decreased by $1.75 million during that time period, according to the report.

The board had used just over 39 percent of its budgeted chemical costs at the close of the first half of the fiscal year on Dec. 31, the report states.

“I did get a projection just recently. Our chemical costs really skyrocketed toward the winter months in January. I’m sure it will balance out,” Welch said.

“Overall, I’d say it’s a good financial report,” he added. “I like the fact that we’re paying our bond debt service and also that our expenses are under budget.”

Employee wages have increased since the reporting period ended on Dec. 31 because of cold weather and waterline breaks, Welch said.

“For the first two pay periods of this year, we paid for 720 hours of overtime. That cost us $31,498 due to the harsh weather conditions,” Welch said.

Welch said the area has been lucky with more moderate temperatures in the last few years, but the board has been through these circumstances in the past.

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